Wagon-bolster.



PATENTED PEB. 4, 1908-.

P. W. BLBGKLEY. WAGON BoLsTBR.

APPLICATION FILED DBC. 15. 1906.l

yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. BLECKLEY, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE TO PRESSED STEEL WAGON BOLSTER CO., OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

WAGON -BOLSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Application filed December 15. 1906. Serial No. 348'010.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. BLEGK- LEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new` and useful Improvements in Wagon-Bolsters, of which the following is a specification.

lThis invention relates to bolsters for vehicles of the type comprising upper and lower members and interposed springs, and consists of the novel features, details of construction and combinations of parts which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a front view of a bolster embodying the invention, an end portion being in longitudinal section, or broken away, to show more clearly the relative arrangement of the coperating elements. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the upper member, or body supporting bar, the parts being separated. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the lower member, or

olster proper. Fig. 4 is a detail erspective view of a portion of the bolster s owing the strut bracing the sides thereof and receiving the head of the bolt by means of which the bolster is connected to the hounds, or other part of the running gear. section on the line fc4-x of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line ,fg-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a modified form of the upper member of the bolster.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The bolster comprises members 1 and 2, the former constituting the upper member andV designated as the body supporting bar, whereas the latter is the lower member, or bolster proper, both members being constructed of channel iron and arranged so as to inclose a space within which is arranged the spring means adapted to press the members apart and sustain the load. The side flanges of the upper member 1 are spaced apart-a distance to embrace the side flanges of the lower member 2, thereby serving in a great measure to prevent water, dust, or the like, from entering the bolster from above.

Vertical slots 3 are formed in the side pieces of the member 1 and receive bolts, or

Fig. 5 is a crossl fastenings 4 which pass through openings in the side ieces of the member 2, thereby preventing ongitudinal displacement of the upper member and directing the same in its vertical movement.

The members l and 2 may be cast, or may be formed from metal plates of suitable gage, said plates having longitudinal edge portions bent to form the side pieces, or flanges, which inclose the space receiving the springs 5.

The upper member, or body supporting bar, of the bolster comprises a cap piece 6, a board 7 and a wear-plate 8, the several parts being placed one upon the other in the order named. The cap piece 6 is of metal and has its extremities provided with the slots 9 designed to receive the standards 11. Similar slots 14 are formed in the wear plate 8, the sides of the slots being turned upwardly as indicated at 10.

The board 7 consists of a plank or slab of wood and reinforces the cap piece and is provided at each end with parallel kerfs 12 of a length corresponding to the slots 9 and adapted to receive the vertical flanges 10. The intermediate portion 13, separated by the kerfs 12 is adapted to have a portion out therefrom to admit of the standards entering the slots 9, the length of the portion to be cut from the outer end of the parts 13 being determined by the distance between the stakes l1 when adjusted to receive the bed of vehicle body. The slot, or opening, formed by cutting away a part of the portion 13 is reinforced at its sides, or edges, by the flanges 10 which sustain the wear incident to the vertical play of the upper member of the bolster. The wear plate 8 overlaps the board 7 and has a slot 14 extended inward from each end corresponding to the respective slots 9. The several parts 6, 7 and 8 of the upper member, or body supporting bar, are connected by suitable fastenings such as rivets, or bolts. For pressing apart the upper and lower members of the bolster, any type of spring may be interposed between them and inasmuch as coil springs are generally employed the same are illustrated and in order to retain such springs in place, guides 15 are provided and secured at their lower ends to the horizontal portion of the member 2.

Each of the guides 15 consists of a frame formed by bending a bar upon itself into the form substantially as shown, and attaching said frame to the member 2, the width of the frame being such as to fit within the coil spring and the height being less than the depth of the side pieces, or flanges, of the member 2 so as not to interfere with the vertical play of the upper member 1.

The bolster is designed to be secured to the hounds 16, or other convenient portion of the running gear, by means of bolts 17, the same being passed through openings in the hounds, or other part of the running gear and in the horizontal portion of the member 2. To admit of comparatively small bolts being advantageously used, and to prevent turning of the same when tightening or loosening the clamp nuts thereof, strut pieces 18 are placed with-1n the lower portion of the bolster. The strut pieces 18 are short lengths of channel iron which correspond to the distance between the side pieces, or flanges, of the lower member 2, the space between the wings or flanges of the strut pieces corresponding to the width of the bolt heads so as to prevent turning thereof when tightening or loosening the nuts coperating therewith. The flanges of the strut pieces touch the inner faces of the side pieces or flanges on the lower member 2 and serve in a measure to brace the same, and which flanges in turn, prevent turning of the strut pieces.

The stakes, or standards, 11 are provided at their lower ends with sockets 19 which in! close the .ends of the bolster and give a finished appearance thereto and exclude the entrance of foreign matter and prevent any one from introducing a block, stone, or other object into the bolster to prevent effective operation of the springs.

The stakes 11 are adjustable upon the ends of the bolster to admit of the distance between them being varied to accommodate beds and bodies of different widths. Longitudinal slots 2O are formed in the side pieces, or flanges, of the lower member 2 to receive the ybolts 21 by means of which the stakes are secured to the bolster in an adjusted position. Inasmuch as the terminal portions of the side pieces, or flanges, of the upper member overlap the sides of the sockets '19, said terminal portions are outwardly deflected a distance to embrace opposite sides of the sockets 19 this being shown most clearly in Fig. 6.

The members of the bolster may be rolled, cast, pressed or constructed in any manner, and as shown in Fig. 7, the flanges 10 along the sides of the slot 14 may extend downward instead of upward and in some instances, the cap piece 6 and the board 7 may be entirely dispensed with. If the board 7 be employed, it may be placed either on top of the horizontal portion of the upper member, or beneath the same. When the board is locatedwithin the upper member, the

the bolster to the hounds, or other part of the running gear.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a wagon bolster, the combination of a lower member, stakes mounted thereon, and an upper member movable with respect to the lower member and comprising a section having slots formed therein to receive the stakes, the sides of the slots carrying outstanding flanges, and a second section mounted upon the first mentioned section and formed with slots receiving the before mentioned outstanding flanges.

2. In a wagon bolster, the combination of a lower member, standards adjustable thereon and an upper member, the latter comprising a metal cap piece having slots in its ends and flanges at the edges of the slots, and a board secured to the cap piece and having kerfs to receive the said flanges, the outer parts of the boards separated by corresponding kerfs being adapted to be cut away to receive the standards.

3. In a bolster for vehicles, the combination of companion members, one of said members adapted to have stakes adjustably fitted thereto and the other member comprising a cap piece, a board and a wear plate, the cap piece and wear plate having inwardly eX- tended slots at their ends and flanges projected from one of said parts in line with the sides of said slots and the board having kerfs to receive said flanges, the outer portions of the parts separated by kerfs being adapted to be cut away to receive the standards.

4. In a wagon bolster, the combination of a lower member formed with upwardly eX- tended flanges, an upper member comprising pendent side flanges having a telescoping connection with the before mentioned flanges of the lower member, and stakes adjustably mounted upon the lower member and formed with sockets closing the open ends of the bolster.

5. In a vehicle bolster, the combination of a member having side pieces, or flanges, channeled strut pieces fitted within the bolster and adapted to brace the side pieces thereof and bolts for securing the bolster to the running gear and having their heads fitted between the flangesof the channeled struts.

6. A bolster comprising a lower member of substantially U-form in transverse section throughout its length, stakes having closed sockets at their lower ends to receive the end portions of said lower member and close the same and give a finished appearance thereto,

an upper member of substantially U-form the said upper and lower members together throughout its length having yits sides ernand limiting their relative vertical play, 10 bracing the sides of the lower member and In testimony whereof I aiX my signature opposite sides of the stakes, the end portions in presence of two witnesses.

5 of the horizontal part notched or cut away FREDERICK W. BLECKLEY. [L s] to receive the said stakes, springs interposed Witnesses: between the two members and housed and LILLIAN SAUNDERS,

protected thereby, and means for holding JOHN W'ILHELM. 

